Services

Endodontics

Endodontics is the dental specialty which deals the study and treatment of the dental pulp. It includes diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases & injuries of the dental pulp (containing nerves, arterioles, venules, lymphatic tissue, and fibrous tissue) becomes diseased or injured, endodontic treatment is required to save the tooth. 

How do I know when I need Endodontics?

If you have facing disturbances with any of the following, you may be a candidate for Endodontic dentistry practices:

  • Tooth pain: Feels pain in a tooth at any time, for no apparent reason. 
  • Sensitivity: Has a tooth that is very sensitive to temperature changes. 
  • Cracked/Brocken Teeth: Has a brocken tooth with exposed pulp. 
How does Endodontic desntistry practices works?

Endodntists perform a variety of procedures including Endodntic therapy or “Root anal Theraoy” Endodontic Retreatment, Surgery or Apicoectomy, Treating Cracked Teeth, and Treating Dental Trauma to help and repair damaged teeth. 

Root cana therapy / Endodontic therapy

Root Canal Therapy or Endodontic therapy is a sequence of treatment procedures carried out on infected pulp of a tooth resulting in the elimination of infection and thus to protect the decontaminated tooth from future microbial invasion. Thus Root Canal Therapy helps to repair and save a badly damaged or infected tooth. 

In Root Canal Therapy the treatment procedures involve different steps and is carried out in different sittings. The main procedures in Root Canal Therapy include: 

Diagnosing: An examination is usually carried out to locate the decay and damaged to tooth using X-rays. 

Removal of Damaged Pulp: This pulp removal is usually done in two different steps: 

  • Pulpotomy: The opening of the pulp chamber of the tooth to allow an infection to drain; Usually a precursor to a root canal. 
  • Pulpectomy: The removal of the pulp from the pulp chamber to temporarily relieve pain; Usually a precursor to a root canal. 

Cleaning and Disinfecting: After removal of the diseased pulp the pulp chamber and root canal of the tooth are cleaned thoroughly to disinfect completely. 

Filling and Sealing: Once the tooth is prepared to be filled, filling material called gutta-percha is filled in the canals. It act as a sealant to completely block the entire root structure and it prevent oral fluids from reaching the tooth and reinfecting the tooth’s internal structure. 

Endodontic Retreatment

Endodontic Retreatment is carried out to a tooth that has been treated doesn’t heal properly and became painful or infected again after months or even years. If your tooth failed to heal or develops new problems, you have a second chance by doing re-rooting canal therapy. 

During retreatment, the endodontist will reopen your tooth and remove the filling materials that were placed in the root canals during the first procedure. The endodontist then carefully examines the tooth, looking for additional canals or new infection and removes any infection, cleans and shapes the canals, and places new filling materials. 

Endodontic Surgery or Apicoectomy

Apicoectomy is an endodontic surgical procedure whereby a tooth’s root tip is removed and a root end cavity is prepared and filled with a biocompatible material. This is usually necessitated when a conventional root canal therapy had failed and a re-treatment was already unsuccessful or is not advised. In this microsurgical procedure, the endodontist opens the gum tissue near the tooth to see the underlying bone and to remove any inflamed or infected tissue. The very end of the root is also removed. A small filling may be placed to seal the end of the root canal and few stitches or sutures are placed to help the tissure heal. Over a period of months, the bone heals around the end of the root. Local anaesthetics make the procedure comfortable, and most patients return to their normal activities the next day. 

Treating Cracked Teeth

There are different types of cracked teeth and the treatment is decided based on the type, locations and extent of the crack. 

Craze Lines: Craze lines are tiny cracks that affect only the outer enamel of tooth. These cracks are common in adult teeth and are of no concern beyond appearances. Craze Lines never cause pain on tooth. 

Fractured Cusp: When a small part of tooth’s chewing surface breaks off, it’s referred as fractured cusp. A fractured cusp rarely damages the pulp, and this usually does not cause much pain;but breathing through your mouth or drinking cold fluids will be slightly painful. Your dentist can place a new filing or crown over the damaged tooth to protect it. 

Cracked Tooth: If the crack extends from the chewing surface of your tooth vertically toward the root it is referred as Cracked Tooth. The early diagnosis is important here in order to save the tooth as the crack may can gradually spread. If the crack has extended into the pulp, the tooth can be treated with a root canal procedure and a crown to protect the crack from spreading. However, if the crack extends below the gum line, it is no loger treatable, and the tooth cannot be saved. It will need to be extracted. A cracked tooth that is not treated will progressively worsen, eventually resulting in the loss of the tooth. That is why early diagnosis and treatment are essential in saving these teeth. 

Split Tooth: A split tooth is often the result of the long term progression of a cracked tooth. The split tooth is identified by a crack with distinct segments that can be separated. A split tooth cannot be saved intact. The position and extent of the crack, however, will determine whether any portion of the tooth can be saved. 

Vertical Root Fracture: Vertical root fracture are cracks that begin in the root of the tooth and extend toward the chewing surface. They often show minimal signs and symptoms and may therefore go unnoticed for some time. Vertical root fractures are often discovered when the surrounding bone and gum become infected. Treatment may involve extraction of the tooth. 

Treating Dental Trauma

Traumatic dental injuries mostly result from accidents or sports-related injuries. Here, the injury can be to the Teeth, Periodontium (Gums, Periodontal Ligament, Alveolar Bone), or nearby Soft Tissues such as the Lips, Tongue, etc. 

Injuries by Tooth Fractures: Injuries by Tooth Fractures may differ in type and the treatment is also decided based on its type, location and extent of the crack. 

Different Tooth Fractures scenarios can be: 

  • Enamel Infraction: An incomplete fracture (crack) of the enamel without loss of tooth structure. 
  • Enamel Fracture: A fracture confined to the enamel with loss of tooth structure. 
  • Enamed-Dentine fracture: A fracture confined to enamel and dentin with loss of tooth structure, but not involving the pulp. 
  • Complex Fracture of Tooth: A fracture involving enamel and dentin with loss of tooth structure and exposure of the pulp. 
  • Root Fracture of Tooth: A fracture confined to the root of the tooth involving cementum, dentin, and the pulp.

Due to Injuries of the Periodontal Apparatus

  • Subluxation of the Tooth (Tooth Knocked Loose): Subluxation of the Tooth is an injury to the tooth supporting structures resulting in increased mobility (looseness) to tooth, but without displacement of the tooth from its original site in the jawbone. 
  • Luxation of the Tooth: Luxation of the Tooth means displacement of the tooth other than axially. Displacement is accompanied by comminution or fracture of either the labial or the palatal/lingual alveolar bone. 
  • Instrusion of the Tooth (Tooth Jammed into Tooth Socket): Instruction of the Tooth is the displacement of the tooth into the alveolar bone. This injury is accompained by comminution or fracture of the alveolar socket. 
  • Avulsion of the Tooth (Tooth Knocked Out): Here in Avulsion the tooth is completely displaced out of its socket. Clinically the socket is found empty or filled with a coagulum. 
  • Due to Injuries to Supporting Bone Tissues: Traumatic dental injuries due to injuries to supporting bone tissues can be of injury to Comminuton of mandibular/maxillary alveolar socket wall, Fracture of mandibular/maxillary socket wall, Fracture of mandibular/maxillary alveolar processes, Fracture of mandible/maxilla etc…
  • Due to soft tissue laceration to the lips and the gingiva